Legendz: Dark Winds
by TheExiledCyborg
Summary: Three years after the Legendz War, Ranshiin returns, with changed wings and ways. But something else lurks in the shadows of his heart; as the Jabberwock rises once again, he must decide where his loyalties lie, and if he deserves redemption...or death.
1. Chapter 1: The Black Dragon Returns

Chapter 1: The Black Dragon Returns

Stars. They were pure, incorruptible, loyal in a way, noble in many others. They kept the night sky alight, standing sentries beside the moon as she cast her soft glow upon the world. They only relinquished the duty in death, in their final hours after eons of keeping watch over earth, a symbol of the light that stands in the darkness, a silent rebel that brings hope to all.

He was not one of them. They had realized this long ago, but let him suffer; not that they were particularly malicious, they simply had no power to help him. Thus, they let the coldness seep into him; they listened silently as he screamed into the abyss for what seemed like eternity; they stood by as he cried out for a savior, and then truly cried, weeping for himself; finally, after forever, they watched him fall from the heavens like a spurned angel.

He fell with grace, not another tear was shed. He knew this was coming, eventually, once Heaven got bored with toying with him, torturing him by keeping him revolving around the beautiful planet he had once called home; but now, as his sentence ended, he couldn't help but feel a sense of soft joy amongst the numbness that blackened his soul, so subtle that it surprised him to discover that he was feeling it; joy, that finally, after all this time, it was all over. He could finally rest in peace.

As he entered the atmosphere, he felt his skin burning as mother Earth pulled him back into her arms. He closed his eyes, refusing to look into the face of death as he approached it at rapid speed. The sky whisked past him, midnight black; the stars got further and further as he was snatched away from them; the ground came rushing into his view, green and brown broken by the occasional blue of water or the grey of night clouds; his wings would not work, the force of gravity besting him as he was pulled, down, down, still down, down until-

A large amount of dirt and debris flew up into the air as he hit the ground in a burst of energy, the impact creating a large crater that knocked trees to the ground and sent animals scattering from the sudden collision. He couldn't breathe, couldn't see...everything was black, like his wings. He thought he was dead for a moment, as pain previously unimaginable racked his now compact form, his brain unable to process the signals his body was sending, demanding his attention. He coughed and shook, his small body in too much pain to move. So tired...so, so tired…

He would just rest for now.

Shu Matsutani looked at the night sky through his brand new telescope, which he had just received as a gift from his parents for his 14th birthday. He grinned as he felt Nezzucho, the small hamster-like creature, settle down on his shoulder.

"Gagagaga?" Nezzucho asked, tugging on a lock of his saga's black hair.

Shu smiled at him. "You want to look too?"

"Gaga!" The hamster nodded, flapping his tiny wings excitedly.

Shu moved aside so the eyepiece rested on his shoulder. He adjusted it and held it for his tiny friend, then turned his gaze to the moon. For a while, the two simply listened to the crickets chirp and watched the stars in silence, until something strange zipped across the sky. Shu narrowed his eyes at the object.

"Is that a shooting star?" He asked, trying to track its trajectory with his eyes.

"Ga!...Ga?...GAGAGAAAAA!" Nezzucho suddenly started going ballistic, as if seized by a sudden madness. Shu tilted his head.

"Geez, are you that excited over a meteor?"

Nezzucho grabbed a lock of his hair and pulled him towards the eyepiece, pointing at the thing zipping past them in a rapid blur of fire. Shu blinked and looked through the telescope, trying to keep track of the object...but it was too late; it had already zipped out of sight past the horizon. Shu snorted.

"Well, that was dumb." He said, looking at the hamster. "Next time you want to show me something, act faster."

The hamster seemed to take offense at this, and he stomped his tiny feet and shook his fists at him. Shu yawned and flicked him off his shoulder.

"Calm down. You can show me another shooting star some other time, if it matters that much to you."

He went through the window into his room. "Good night, Nezzucho. You can keep watching the stars if you want, but I'm going to bed."

Nezzucho continued to babble curses at his saga long after the boy had fallen asleep. Curse his ignorance! Curse his stupidity!- He finally ran out of energy and perched on the windowsill, panting softly. He looked up at the moon with worried thoughts running a familiar track through his mind:

A bad wind was coming soon.

 **"Ranshiin…Ranshiin...Wake up…"** The windragon growled and slowly opened his eyes. He coughed and squinted at the bright light all around him, already disliking it.

"Hello?" He called. His eyes widened as he realized he was speaking in actual sentences and not hamster language. He looked at his hands and body, then realized he was also in his true form. He spread his wings and grinned, examining them with glee.

"I'm alive! And no longer in that pathetic, contemptible weaker form!" He scowled at the thought of the tiny black hamster he had called a body.

He heard giggles and laughter surrounding him on all sides.

 **"Should we tell him?"**

 **"Poor thing…"**

 **"What a fool!"**

 **"Is he serious?"**

Ranshiin growled and clenched his fists. He hated being ridiculed by an audience he couldn't see. His neck whipped around to glare at his invisible attackers.

"Who are you? Show yourselves!"

 **"Wow. He** ** _is_** **serious. Has he learned** ** _nothing_** **all this time?-I mean, if several versions of him were able to get it, doesn't that mean he shouldn't be far beh-"**

 **"-Let him figure it out; I think he's close."**

Ranshiin's eyes widened. "You! You're those spiritual legendz who made Shiron and I turn away from the path of war!"

 **"There it is!-See, I told you guys he was smart!-Just...misguided."**

There seemed to be an all-around agreement on this point; the voices all murmured amongst themselves, nodding to the fact that he, the black windragon, was indeed _very_ misguided. Ranshiin hated this; what were they talking about? They were just talking over his head as if he was a naughty child and they were consoling him, trying to let him understand what he had done wrong but refusing to tell him directly- no, no, don't tell him!-Let him figure it out on his own!

Ranshiin spun around, flaring his wings open. "Stop speaking in riddles! Tell me why I'm here!"

There was a pause. For a moment, Ranshiin was fearful that he had offended them, or scared them away; but he could sense their eyes boring into him, judging him, assessing him.

 **"...You're here because we're trying to decide why you should get a second chance."** Said a male voice, this time gravely, without any of the previous jovial tones he had been using before.

A chill went down Ranshiin's spine. Why had that statement sounded so condemning? He swallowed.

"A second chance? What do you mean?"

He could hear a book being opened, and pages flipping. A small female voice called out as if addressing some sort of audience:

 **"Ranshiin Windragon, you are being tried today for all of your crimes and sins: treachery, betrayal, lying, manipulation, murder on several accounts and several degrees, and much, much more. You have done things some may call unforgivable. I believe you already know this."**

Ranshiin felt a sudden pang in his chest, and a horrible twisting feeling in his stomach. He physically clutched it, confused, as memories started to pour back into him: all of those humans he killed, or had killed; all of the lies he wove; the cult he had created, then the lives he destroyed through it; everything he had ever done started to rush at him in a new perspective.

He fell to his knees, shaking and wrapping his wings around himself. "But...I was doing what I saw as right...the humans are more evil than I!...I am not evil at all!...Right?" He said weakly, looking up into the light. He could not understand why he felt so bad now, when previously those memories didn't bother him at all.

 **"Ranshiin, what you did was wrong, no matter your intentions; your self-righteousness was driven only by bitter hatred instead of any true perceptions of justice."**

Ranshiin's vision started to blur, and he felt his face become red-hot. A knot started to form in his throat, making his normally strong voice break into croaks and pieces.

"But...I was trying to save the world! The humans were destroying it! Poisoning it!...That is the true meaning of the Legendz War! To destroy the humans and wipe the Earth clean!" He blinked, realizing he was repeating himself; he didn't even believe in what he was saying anymore. He started shaking and put his hands on his head as hot tears started running down his face.

"...My God," he whispered, "I'm a monster…"

 **"Oh no! Look, we made him cry!"**

 **"He realizes his mistakes!"**

 **"He has a heart! The boy gave him a heart!"**

Now there was applause. Ranshiin looked up in confusion as he felt something warm brush against his face, wiping his tears away. The light cleared, and now Ranshiin could see several glowing figures surrounding him, clapping and smiling; one of them seemed to be a small blue fairy, who was using a handkerchief to wipe his eyes clean. Ranshiin blinked. "What? Why are you clapping?"

The leader of them smiled. **"Congratulations."**

Another creature, a yellow horse-like legendz, as well as another blue horse, were stamping their hooves. **"You have passed the test."**

Ranshiin looked at the fairy and gently brushed her away. "Test?"

 **"We wanted to see why you deserve a second chance: you almost gave your life to extinguish Jabberwock, but we wanted to see if you had really learned your lesson."** Said a small saytar creature with green hair.

Ranshiin felt all of the breath in his lungs start to leave him in a large gust. He could no longer inhale, only exhale. He started trembling in rage.

"You mean to tell me...this was all some sort of...twisted trial? A _test_?"

 **"That's exactly what we're telling you! See, I told you he was smart!"** said the fairy as she flew above him.

Ranshiin narrowed his eyes at all of them, examining each one closely as if ensuring they were real, and not some sort of horrible hallucination. "...You are all _sick_."

The leader laughed. **"Perhaps from your perspective, but we can discuss that some other time."**

He made a motion with his hand to signal for Ranshiin to rise. Slowly, in a dream-like state, he rose to his feet and stood, still unable to breathe properly.

The leader cleared his throat and looked into the book. **"Ranshiin Windragon, will you cast aside your sins and be born again as a new Legendz, one capable of good deeds and one with a pure heart? In the name of God, who sees you standing before us today, will you swear to use this second chance we bestow upon you wisely?"**

Ranshiin looked at his feet, thinking hard. There was a light pause filled with tension before he took a breath and folded his wings, declaring loudly:

"I, Ranshiin Windragon, do solemnly swear to cast aside my old ways, to be born again as a new Legendz, to only do good deeds, and to use this second chance wisely," he said, puffing out his chest some as he felt the power of the words flood into him and make him stronger.

The spiritual Legendz all clapped once again as their leader closed the book with a nod. **"Congratulations, Ranshiin. We wish you well upon your journey."**

Ranshiin felt warmth engulf him, and looked to see that his wings were now completely white. He smiled as the warmth spread through his form and consumed him. He smiled and waved one last time to the spiritual legendz, and then vanished; for awhile after he left, they looked at each other in silence.

 **"...Do you think we were too hard on him?"**

 **"Nah, the whole 'trial' thing was only for the sake of drama; gotta keep the readers entertained!"**

 **"Seriously, this whole fanfiction is turning into one of those 'crackfics' we keep hearing so much about. What's next? Is the author going to ship Ranshiin with Shiron?"**

 **"DON"T GIVE THEM IDEAS!"**


	2. Chapter 2: A Second Chance

Chapter 2: A Second Chance

Ranshiin opened his eyes slowly. His entire body greeted him with pain as he stared up at the moon shining far above him. He groaned quietly and pushed himself up with his tiny arms. He blinked and looked at his hands for a moment, realization hitting him suddenly. The black hamster growled and jumped around, shaking his fists up at the sky and cursing his ill luck; it must have all been a dream.

 _"...Then why did it feel so real?"_ He thought to himself, rubbing his chin.

It must have been real, he decided, because his body (although still in a weaker form) was healed almost entirely. He flapped his small wings to test them out, and realized they had changed from a deep ebony to a shining ivory color; the events of his dream had happened! He really wasn't as insane as he thought!

He looked up one last time at the sky and managed to crawl out of his crater. His intention was to get a look around and thus discover where he was. Windragons always had an acute sense of direction, usually after they got a feel of the breeze, a gift passed down from the great Tornado Dragon King himself.

Ranshiin came to the edge of the crater panting heavily and shaking as he pulled himself up. He collapsed on the edge, again cursing the Spiritual Legendz for not returning him to his rightful form-but he did not do it aloud, of course, for fear of offending them and being sent somewhere even more unpleasant. He coughed up some dust that had fallen into his mouth during his 60 yard climb across the desolation and stood on his toes, closing his eyes and feeling the wind.

 _"I'm...North. Very far North from New York City."_ He thought to himself. He again spread his tiny wings and took to the air with a groan, hoping they would be strong enough to assist him on his journey. He knew the only way to regain his form was to find Shu, his saga, gain his trust, and claim the power that was rightfully his; he had only to survive first.

\--

Almost a week after the strange incident with the shooting star, Shu and his friends, Mac and Meg, walked towards the clock tower after a long week of school; it was Saturday, a day of freedom for children, and they were going to spend it by having a Legendz Club meeting. Shu shot ahead of the group on his scooter, the wind brushing his hair away from his face. He looked over his shoulder at the two other children running closely behind him, puffing and struggling to catch up. Mike "Mac" Mcfield suffered the worst of all: the slightly overweight 14 year old was red in the face from the mid-May heat, which was not aided by the tortuous exercise. He panted, lagging far behind the much more fit Meg Sprinkle.

"H-Hey, wait up guys!" He said with hands on knees.

Meg turned around and helped Mac up. "Shu! Slow down!" She ordered as she gave Mac a sip from her water bottle.

Shu stopped and made his scooter swirl around with a screech. He huffed at them and put a hand on his hip.

"You guys are slowpokes! C'mon, Dino's probably already there!" He complained, stamping a foot impatiently.

Meg huffed and glared at him. "Well he can wait! We've been running across the entire city all day because you decided to drag us around-"

A sudden yowling in a nearby alley way caught their attention and ended the argument. Shu tilted his head. Meg and Mac looked at each other, then at the alley. The yowling got louder and louder.

Shu shot towards the space with Meg and Mac following close behind. In the shade of the surrounding buildings, by some long-forgotten trashcans, a pack of cats were attacking a small creature. Shu squinted at it and its black markings. His eyes widened in shock.

"Waruccho?!" He said.

Meg tilted her head. "Who's Waruccho?"

Nezzucho poked his head out of the backpack with a series of small angry cries. He had been awoken by the sound of the yowling cats, and Shu's irritatingly loud voice didn't do much to lull him back to sleep. He looked up at his saga with clear annoyance.

"He wants to know what's going on, you know." Said Mac.

Shu pulled the hamster out of his bag and showed him the scene; already, the cats were closing in on the black hamster, swatting at him and sending him rolling and scrambling to regain his balance. Every time he tried to scramble away, a cat would swat at him and drag him back into the violent ring of claws and teeth. Nezzucho couldn't bear to watch any longer; one more swipe, and Waruchho was done for.

He quickly flew over and tried to divert the cats' attention. Shu saw what Nezzucho was thinking, and rushed forward on his scooter.

"Hey, cats! Pick on someone your own size!" He cried, kicking the cat nearest to the black hamster away.

The other cats scattered, deciding it was not worth a fight for a battered up furball anyway. Shu panted and gently squatted in front of Nezzucho, who was gently shaking Waruchho with a worried expression. Shu reached down and picked them both up, then turned to his friends with his find.

Mac blinked at it. "Hey, that hamster looks like Ranshiin-Sama, you know?"

"It is Ranshiin!" Meg cried, jumping away. Shu scoffed at her reaction.

"Wow. Really? Are you seriously scared of a hamster?"

Meg growled. "I'm not scared of a hamster! I'm scared of what that hamster is! Remember what he did to us?!"

Shu paused for a moment. He thought back on everything Ranshiin had done, and how much damage he had caused, some of which was irreversible; because of Ranshiin, the Sagas could never separate from their Legendz; because of Ranshiin, the kids had nearly lost their lives, their homes, and their families; because of Ranshiin, the world was almost destroyed.

But then Ranshiin had helped save it. He willingly sacrificed himself for Halca and her mother, and the world as well. Also because of him the Sagas met their Legendz and became lifelong friends. Shu looked at the small hamster breathing shallowly in his hands, cut and scratched from many claws, and worn by a long journey; how far had he traveled to get here? Had he been looking for them?

Shu turned to Meg and Mac. "Call Garrion and Zuou. They might be able to help."

Meg and Mac compiled, and in no time a large griffin and a smaller yeti like creature were standing in front of Shu. The griffin was first to catch wind of what was going on. She narrowed her eyes at the black hamster.

"What is this?" She said demandingly, her tone filled with anger as she recalled the damage Ranshiin had caused.

"Poor thing," Zuou said, much more emphatically, and gently poked Waruchho with a finger. The hamster groaned and flinched away, and Nezzucho started in a round of curses at the yeti.

"He says be more careful, you know," said Mac.

Zuou quickly drew back his finger, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be," Meg snapped, "he deserves it."

Garrion nodded in agreement. "He has much to atone for."

Shu held Waruchho close to his chest. "What is wrong with you guys? He needs our help!"

"What is wrong with you?" Meg retorted, "He tried to kill our families!"

"And he also helped us save the world!" Shu shot back.

"After he tried to destroy it!"

The two bickered like this for awhile, almost like a married couple; watching it, but being unable to interfere, made it rather awkward for those watching. Garrion had to clear her throat seventeen times before the two would even look in her direction.

She coughed lightly and looked down at the hamsters. Nezzucho was still trying to wake Waruchho. She looked at Shu.

"Do you really want to help him?" She asked, locking eyes with him to let him understand how serious this was.

Shu nodded. "Yes. I think he at least deserves a chance. Right Nezzucho?"

The white hamster paused and nodded hesitantly. Garrion sighed and turned at Zuou.

"Take them to Duck Duck Toys and obtain a talispod for Ranshiin."

Mac tilted his head. "Why can't Shu use Shiron's talispod?"

"He _can_ ," said Garrion, turning to Mac. "But it was damaged, wasn't it, Kaze no Saga?" The Griffin had an almost accusatory tone in her voice as she glanced at Shu.

Shu looked away, a blush making it's way across his face before he coughed awkwardly and hopped up into Zuou's arms, pulling Meg with him.

"Uh...Yeah...We need to hurry, then. Meg and I will get the talispod fixed for Waruchho while you guys stay here and tell Dino and G.W. Nicole what happened."

"Wait, what?- Hold ooooooooooon!" Meg screamed as Zuou sped off.

Faster than she could react, they were already at the warehouse where Dino and Shu's fathers were sure to be. Meg sat on Zuou's shoulder, blinking in shock, before Shu pulled her into the building.

"Wait outside, Zuou!" Meg called over her shoulder, just barely gathering her wits as she disappeared into the large building.

Inside, their were people everywhere working on various toys; some were assembling parts, some were working at 3D printers, some were helping to load shipments of toys into trucks to be delivered to toy stores across the state. Shu looked around for a familiar face as he squeezed Meg's hand, making her blush slightly.

"Can I help you kids?" Came a sweet voice from behind them.

The kids spun around and nearly screamed as they saw a purple-haired woman wearing a green and yellow apron with two ducks printed on the front. She smiled at them.

"I see you remember me." She giggled almost darkly.

"Of course we remember you!" Meg snapped, "You chased us all around New York city trying to steal Shu's talispod!"

The woman waved off the accusation.

"Water under the bridge," she said. She took out a whistle from a pocket in her apron and blew on it, which summoned two men dressed in dark suits. They saluted her like trained soldiers.

"J1 and J2 reporting for duty, Ms. Bunny!" They said simultaneously.

She pointed at the two kids. "See to it that these children get help."

They saluted again and bent to be level with the two teens. "What do you kids need?" Asked the taller of the two men in a gentle tone.

Shu held Waruchho and Nezzucho close. "We're looking for Mr. Matsutani."

The two men nodded and took Shu and Meg to an office away from the noise of the machinery and the people. On the outside of the polished wooden door was a sign reading: 'Executive's Office'. J1 and J2 dropped the kids off with a sucker for each of them. Meg blinked at the bubblegum flavored candy and then at the backs of the leaving men.

"We're not kids!" She cried into the corridor after them, although the two seemed to take no notice. Shu tapped her shoulder and tossed his head at the door.

"At least we got free candy, right?" he said as he opened the door for them.

Inside, two men stood behind a desk, pointing out areas in a blueprint and discussing errors and what to keep in the overall design. They heard the door open and looked up in Shu's direction. One of them, a man who appeared to be an older copy of Shu, smiled and adjusted his glasses.

"Hey Shu, Meg, what brings you here?" He asked.

Shu glanced at the blueprint, which appeared to hold a design for an action figure based off of Dandy the Crocodile. "Sorry for interrupting, dad, but I need this talispod fixed for this Legendz."

He gently laid Waruccho and Nezzucho on the table with the damaged talispod. The other man leaned forward. He was practically an older version of Dino, with darker hair and a mustache.

"What happened to him?" He asked, gently rubbing Waruccho's head with a finger. The hamster groaned again in response.

"He was attacked by cats," Said Meg.

"Is he a friend of yours?" Mr. Matsutani asked Shu.

Shu rubbed the back of his head, casting a weary glance at Meg. "Uh...you could...say that." he said.

Mr. Sparks smiled. "Wait here, then." He disappeared into a back room, and soon returned with the talispod, as good as new. "I had some talispod parts left over from my bootlegging days. This is one should be all fixed up." He placed it in Shu's hands.

Shu looked at it and smiled. "This is perfect! Thank you! Ranshiin, come back!"

The black hamster became a small whirlwind that was sucked into the device. A gleaming blue crystal, similar to Shiron's, now stood in the center of the talispod. Shu squinted at the small sliver figure inside: Ranshiin, poised as if in deep thought, but it had an almost malicious air behind it. Shu nodded and smiled.

"This is great! Thanks, Mr. Sparks, thanks, Dad." He hugged his father, then he and Meg started to head out the door.

Meg watched the talispod anxiously. "...So when are you going to reborn him?" she asked.

Shu patted Nezzucho's head and gazed at the crystal. "When we get back to the clubhouse. I want to make sure everyone is there so we can help Waruccho settle down."

Meg blinked. "Settle down?! Are you saying you're going to let him join our club?"

Even Nezzucho seemed opposed to this. He jumped up and down on his saga's shoulder and squeaked profoundly. Shu just waved it off.

"I mean, he did save the earth and Halca's mom...so he can't be that bad, right?"

Meg facepalmed in frustration. How could he be so stupid and naive and trusting? She grabbed Shu's arm just before he opened the door to the exit. He blinked at her angry glare, clearly too dumb too even understand why she would be mad. She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling a headache coming on.

"Listen, Shu...I can get why you would think Ranshiin deserves a second chance, but…" she sighed again, realizing that there was no arguing with him: once he had his mind made, there was no changing it.

"...Be careful, alright?"

Shu nodded. "Alright, I will." He opened the door and the two blinked, trying to get used to the dazzling sunlight after having spent a small eternity in the dark warehouse. Meg watched Shu as they made their way over to Zuou.

 _"Be careful, Shu,"_ she thought, then glared at Ranshiin's crystal with malice. _"Because if he even steps a centimeter out of line...he can spend the rest of eternity as a crystal."_


	3. Chapter 3: A Potential Good Guy!

Chapter 3: A Potential Good Guy?!

Shu presented the solldoll and talispod to the entire assembly. The entire Legendz Club was there: Dino Sparks, Meg Sprinkle, Mike 'Mac' Mcfield, and their legendz: Greedo Blazedragon, Leon, Wolfy, Zuou the Bigfoot, Garrion the Griffin, and Shiron the Windragon. They all looked at the talispod in anticipation and fear. The decision that would release or condemn the defendant was yet to be made.

Shu concluded his case. "Well, we all already know why this is here," he said, holding up the talispod, "but no one has yet come to a agreement. I believe it is my duty, as club president, to allow the club to vote before I reborn Ranshiin. Vice-President Shiron will distribute the ballots, and everyone will write down their decision and place it in the Vice-President's hat. The ballots will be reviewed, and then the winning decision will be placed into effect. You all already know my stance on this; I hope you will all agree." He said, placing the talispod on the table where everyone could see.

They were all impressed with how seriously he seemed to be taking the situation; they had all believed Shu was incapable of even being serious. But it seemed his classes in basic law and the mock trials in school were affecting him. The club members all watched as Shiron distributed the index cards to each of them, then collected them in his hat later on, once everyone had reviewed the case in their minds and written down their answer.

Tension reigned in the air.

Shiron handed his hat to Shu. Shu nodded at him, sweat dripping down his forehead. He picked up a card with a shivering hand and read the transcript. Then the next...then the next...and the next.

Everyone watched him silently. Shu stood up and sighed, then faced the club. He smiled and picked up the talispod as Shiron dumped the cards into the trash and put his hat back on. He watched Shu with apathetic blue eyes-- weary, but indifferent.

"After all the ballots have been counted, the club has reached a final decision," he grinned as he held up the black talispod. "Ranshiin! Reborn!"

Everyone watched in complete silence, and no one was smiling; they simply observed as a black tornado materialized from the crystal and left the dark windragon in front of them. His arms were crossed and his eyes were closed. His white wings were folded close to his sides.

Dino squinted. "Weren't his wings black?" the rich young man asked as he leaned in his chair.

Ranshiin opened his eyes.

Everyone froze and watched him, rigid, as if ready to spring on him if he so much as moved a feather out of place. Ranshiin only blinked and sniffed dismissively at them before turning to Shu with a smile. He bent down and held out his hand to him.

"Kaze no Saga, thank you-"

Shiron and G.W. Nicole were on him in five seconds, successfully pinioning him. Shu jumped on Shiron's arm and tried to pull him off.

"Hey! Cut it out! He didn't do anything!" he cried.

"Yet," Meg muttered under her breath before being elbowed by Mac.

Greedo nodded. "He looked like he was about to try something."

Zuou tilted his head. "It looked like to me he was just going to shake Shu's hand." he said.

Shu nodded. "Exactly! Let. Him. **_Go_**!"

Shiron glanced down at his saga, then at Ranshiin. The black windragon glared back at him from underneath the three Legendz. He murmured something, and Leon lifted his paw off of his snout.

"What?" The manticore asked, tilting his head.

Ranshiin bared his teeth. "I _said_ ," he hissed slowly, "get off of me, you are crushing my wings."

One of Wolfy's ears twitched as he glared down at him. "Funny, sounds like to me you said: 'Get off of me, you doltish cretins, or I'll dismember you.'"

Ranshiin smiled innocently-or at least, it _seemed_ as if he was trying to look innocent, as it was hard to tell from the rage in his eyes, and his sharp teeth. "Did I say that? I meant: 'please remove yourselves from my person, gentlemen,'."

Shiron growled and got off of him. Greedo, Leon, and Wolfy slowly did the same. Ranshiin snorted and stood up, brushing himself off. For a long moment, they stared each other down, neither side moving, neither side speaking.

Shu was apparently the only one immune to the animosity in the air, as he exuberantly bounded over and climbed up Ranshiin's coattails with a leopard-spotted handkerchief in hand. He tied it around the windragon's neck.

Ranshiin blinked at it and rubbed a leopard spot between his fingers, as if making sure it wasn't a stain. "What is this?" he asked.

Shu beamed up at him from the Legendz's shoulder. "It is your official Legendz Club uniform! We meet on Saturdays at 6 AM. You are hereby assistant to the president and vice president, and are also the Executive in charge of electric fans, or EICEF, if you like."

Ranshiin looked at the boy, then his cast his glance slowly across the others. They all stared back at him with equally curious, furious, and terrified faces. His sharp blue eyes assessed them; he could sense and feel their emotions. He had only to play his cards right, these cards they carelessly laid before him...and he could earn their trust.

He made a list in his head, assessing each character before him based on threat level and how naive they were; the boy was the easiest target, and had the most power over the others. His trust was already given full-heartedly. He only needed to use the boy to convince the others…

Ranshiin grinned and laughed. "Great. Where do I start?"

Shu pointed to a large, dusty box fan in a corner. "You can start by turning on that box fan over there! It's a bit stuffy in here!"

Ranshiin nodded and shooed Shiron and the others out of his way. He shot the white windragon a look as he passed, one Shiron was able to translate perfectly clearly. The message made him want to tear Ranshiin's wings off. But he couldn't, when his saga trusted him so blindly.

He watched with the others as he and Shu laughed and conversed as if nothing was wrong. The wind from the electric fan blew around the room, blowing away all the impurities built up over time; Shiron, however, felt like it had a bad air.


	4. Chapter 4: People Pleaser

Chapter 4: People Pleaser

Shu burst into his room with a blue and black hamster in each hand. He did a twirl, closing the door with his foot in the process (as well as nearly making the hamsters vomit), and set the Legendz down on his bed.

"Behold!" he said to Ranshiin, spreading his arms to gesture to the entire room.

The black hamster looked around, incredibly underwhelmed by the size, although he hid it behind a layer of gratitude for its cleanliness, and pretended it was awe. Nezzucho rolled his eyes and flew over to a tiny bed next to Shu's. He yawned, about to climb in, before the Legendz club president stopped him with a hand.

"Wait a second," he said as he picked up Waruccho by his scruff. The hamster did not resist as he was placed on the tiny bed and tucked in; the blue hamster, on the other hand, did.

Nezzucho hopped up and down, pointing at Waruccho and shaking his fists. Shu scoffed and waved it away.

"Calm down, Nezzucho," he said, "It's just one night; you to can share a bed for one night, at least until Meg gets another doll bed for Waruccho, or I get my talisdam fixed." He brushed away the embaressing memory of having dropped the item in a toliet...it was hard to explain exactly how that had happened.

He coughed and tucked Nezzucho in with Waruccho, ignoring the protests of both and heading to bed. The hamsters stared at each other in darkness and silence for awhile.

Waruccho eventually shrugged and rolled over, muttering a small "Fu" as goodnight before the soft sounds of his snoring- in rythym with their Saga's-filled Nezzucho's ears.

Nezzucho sighed and rolled over so his wings brushed against Waruccho's. He stared at the dark walls of the enclosure for a long while, letting his thoughts about his 'other half' spin around in his head. It was both strange and uncomfortable to have the object of his vexation and loathing sleeping right beside him; It was almost as uncomfortable as his Saga's trust in said loathed object.

Nezzucho huffed quietly as Waruccho pulled the blanket off of him in his sleep. He tried to tug it back, but the black hamster had a steel grip on the fabric. After five unsuccessful tries, he finally gave up and submitted himself to a night of slight discomfort.

When he next opened his eyes, he realized it was late morning.

His saga and Waruccho were no where to be seen. He smelled the faint scent of greasy breakfast foods wafting in from the direction of the kitchen. His mind groggily put two and two together and he lifted himself from the bed.

He paused for a moment, half way in the air, watching his blanket slide off of his body. It looked as of he had been...tucked in. Like someone had carefully placed the blanket on him while he was asleep, without causing any disturbance.

Had Waruccho…?

He shook it off and flew out the door into the hallway, following the scent of food until he found his Saga having breakfast with his mother. Shu looked up from a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast to smile up at the hamster coming towards him.

"Messusho!" he mumbled past a mouthful of bacon.

His mother smiled as the hamster landed beside her. She gave him a small piece of toast with melted butter and petted his head.

"Good morning, Nezzucho," she said, "Did you sleep well?"

"Ga," The hamster said dismissively, nibbling on the toast. He looked up at his saga. "Gaga-ga?"

"Oh, yeah," Shu said, "Waruccho went with Dad to Duck Duck Company, for some reason."

Nezzucho nearly choked on his toast. Mrs. Matsutani offered him a sip of milk from her glass and patted his back with her finger until he recovered enough to be able to speak again. He gapped for air and blinked up at Shu.

"GA?!" he cried.

Shu shrugged. "Why not? Waruccho seemed like he really wanted to go, and dad didn't mind. What's the big deal?" He had gotten better at translating the Legendz's hamster language, mostly through simply studying his body's motions.

Nezzucho tugged on the flaps of his hat and growled in rage. He flew up and grabbed Shu's shirt, trying to tug him up. Shu fininshed his breakfast, put up his dishes, kissed his mom goodbye, and whisked out the door with the hamster and his scooter.

They hit the street, racing across the cement towards Duck Duck Toys HQ. Nezzucho worried the entire way, hiding it behind a steeled face of determination; what was Ranshiin planning? Why did he want to go to Duck Duck Toys?

Perhaps the black dragon wanted to kill Mr. Matsutani and Mr. Sparks, and disguise it as an industrial accident; or maybe he wanted to use the talisdams they were producing to summon an army of dark legendz, or program the toys to hurt children; or it could be something else horrible, that Nezzucho could not even begin to imagine.

He growled at the thought and tugged on the talispod hanging from Shu's belt. Shu stopped and blinked down at the white hamster in confusion.

"You want to be reborn?" he asked.

"Ga!" Nezzucho said, nestling into the talispod's hold.

His saga shrugged and parked his scooter, then held up the device.

"Shiron! Come back!" he cried as the hamster was replaced with a blue crystal.

He held it up to the light. "Shiron, Reborn!"

A small tornado revealed a large white dragon standing before the saga. Shiron growled and burst through the door of the warehouse, ignoring his saga and the receptionist. He stormed through the place, looking around for a hamster and adjusting his gloves.

"Ranshiin!" he yelled, making several workers jump as he passed them, "Where are you?"

"Shiron, what's wrong? What are you doing?" Shu grabbed Shiron's tail and hung on as the Windragon searched the place.

Shiron again ignored him, searching around for any trace of the black legendz. "RANSHIIN!"

"Yes?" A voice answered from right behind them.

Shiron spun around in shock as he saw the black Windragon, fully reborn, wearing a Duck Duck Toys apron over a tight white T-Shirt and loose black shorts. He had a peaceful, pleasant smile on his face, and was carrying three heavy-looking boxes labeled "Fragile".

Shiron growled and grabbed the front of Ranshiin's shirt over the boxes. "What are you up to?" he demanded.

Ranshiin didn't even bat an eye; metaphorically, at least. He actually batted his eyes several times in an irritatingly feminine manner, almost like he was mocking Shiron.

"What am I up to?" Ranshiin echoed as if confused, "Why would I be up to something? Am I doing anything wrong, Shiron?"

"No, you're not," Shu said, slipping off of Shiron's tail and stepping between the two. He looked up at Shiron sternly. "Shiron, what is Waruccho doing wrong?"

Shiron blinked down at Shu and then glanced at Ranshiin. "...Nothing...yet."

Shu nodded. "Right. Give him a chance, until he does something; then you can beat him up."

Shu saw the wounded look on Ranshiin's face and quickly amended with: "Not that you _would_ do something, Waruccho."

Ranshiin put the boxes on a workbench where a few employees were working. He watched them tear open the boxes and work for a moment. "Damn right," he muttered as if under his breath, although Shiron was sure he had taken the stung tone intentionally so Shu would hear it.

Shu went over and patted Ranshiin's calf sympathetically. "Shiron's just tense, is all. Everyone is, after...everything that happened. But we can all make an effort to move forward...and we will. And we know you will too." he smiled up at the Legendz.

Ranshiin smiled back down at his saga, and for the first time, Shiron thought he saw something...genuine in his expression. Something resembling gratitude, or even…

Shiron refused to get ahead of himself; He could only afford a shred of trust for Ranshiin and his past noble deed, if only for his saga's sake; but he would be weary. He would always be weary, in case Ranshiin turned.

Shu tugged on Ranshiin's shorts. "Hey, show us what you've been doing here!" he said excitedly.

Ranshiin cast a glance in Shiron's direction, then away again when he saw his eyes on him. He smiled and set Shu on his shoulder.

"Well, Kaze no Saga," he said proudly, "I've volunteered to help unload supplies and toy parts, as well as assist in some equipment moving and…"

Shiron tuned him out almost entirely as he led them around the warehouse, explaining what he had helped with and the ways everyone was working together to help the company get onto its feet. He even introduced them to some Legendz employees that had recently been hired, whom he had assisted in training.

Shiron just shook the hands they offered him, not even bothering to remember their names or faces. They weren't as important to him at the moment.

Ranshiin dropped Shu off in front of Mr. Matsutani and Spark's office. Shu smiled up at him as Shiron knocked on the door.

After a moment, Mr. Spark's head poked out. His eyes landed on Ranshiin, and he smiled.

"Well, if it isn't our most valued employee!" he said, stepping out and taking Ranshiin's hand.

The black windragon returned the smile and gestured to Shu and Shiron with a wing. "'Most valued' is a tad much, for my humble services. Anyway, Shu and Shiron are here to see you and Mr. Matsutani."

Mr. Sparks looked past Ranshiin and smiled at the two. "Ah! Shu! Shiron! Back already, I see. Come inside," he held open the door so Shu and Shiron could squeeze in (the 'squeezing' part refering to Shiron).

Shu's father was bent over a few spare parts and tools. He paused in his work for a moment to stare at a blueprint, taking no notice of his son or the two large Legendz that took up most of the room, until Shu cleared his throat.

Mr. Matsutani grinned up at them. "Oh, hey! What brings you two back here?"

Shu pointed over his shoulder at Shiron's crouched form. "Dekkacho thinks Waruchho's up to no good."

Mr. Matsutani laughed. "I assure you, Shiron, Ranshiin's been very helpful. He hasn't done anything wrong."

"In fact, we could use more like him," Mr. Sparks said. He stepped beside Ranshiin and patted his leg. "If only we could clone him!"

Ranshiin and the two men laughed as if this was some sort of personal joke between them. Shiron tried to refrain from rolling his eyes; was this Ranshiin's plan to get everyone to trust him? By smiling and kissing up to everyone?- or had he really changed?- He, personally, didn't believe Ranshiin would be so quick to be rid of his pride.

"Well, whatever he's up to," Shiron thought, "trying to make him look bad won't help; I'll only incriminate myself. Better to let him think he has my trust...Until he truely earns it."

Shu snapped to get Shiron's attention. "Dekkacho!"

The windragon blinked, fully awake and out of his trance. He looked at Shu. "Yo, what do you need?"

"I was asking for a ride home," Shu said slowly, as if making sure Shiron could understand, "since we're done here, and we know that Waruchho's not doing any evil doing. Hello?"

Shiron nodded and scooped Shu up. He turned to Ranshiin again. "So, when can we expect you home?"

Ranshiin smiled. "Around 10 pm. I still have to help Ms. Hepburn at 101 Grade School; I understand children can be quite the handful." He did that irritating, feminine batting of his eyes again, and Shiron wasn't entirely sure that Ranshiin was not _purposefully_ trying to provoke him.

He took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Well, see you later, _Ran-Ran_ ," -If Ranshiin wanted play games… Shiron could play them too. He batted his eyelids at Ranshiin and swept out the door with their saga.


	5. Chapter 5: Ill Feeling

**Chapter 5: Ill Feeling**

 **"Ranshiin…"**

He scrunched his eyes shut. His head hurt, and he didn't want to face the light that seeped through his eyelids.

 **"Ranshiin…"**

He groaned. "Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!" He knew his tone was childish, but he couldn't help it; all he wanted to do was sleep! Who would be trying to-

 **"GET UP, YOU MISBEGOTTEN BASTARD!"**

He immediantly jumped to his feet, his wings spread wide and his neck whipping around, looking for his assailant. "What?!"

His eyes widened, then narrowed as they landed upon a female Legendz. " _You!_ "

She was fair-skinned, and almost human in her appearance, except for the sapphire fish scales speckling her face and shoulders like freckles, as well as the four blue wings on her back, and the catfish feelers sprouting from her aquamarine hair; her eyes, also, were inhuman: they were completely navy blue, with no pupils or irises to speak of. They stared right through him, reading him like a book...and he _hated_ it.

He growled and grinded his teeth. "Navie the water sprite; how... _pleasant_ it is to see you again," he said, and he meant it; He _hated_ that he meant it. He hated _her_ for making him feel that way.

She sighed, and her long hair blew in the wind like ocean waves. She brushed her bangs out of her face and sat on a large stone, listening to the water in the stream gurgle, and the waterfall crash over the small cliff beside them. Ranshiin recognized this place. It was where they met, those thousands of years ago. The memories made him growl louder.

 **"...Glad to see that you are still a gentleman, even after those hundreds of years you spent terrorizing humanity,"** She said in a tone that sounded a tad too condescending to him; god, how he had missed that voice.

He snorted and sat down by the stream. His tail dipped into the water, and he flinched a bit at its coldness; how could a dream feel so real?

He studied her for a moment. "...So what is it you want?"

She turned her head towards him. **"Want?"** Her tone sounded almost coy; he hated that about her: the way she played these mind games with him, so he always had to guess when she was actually being sincere and when she was tugging his chain; the way she used no other weapon than her tone to wound him.

He smiled, showing all of his sharp teeth. "I know you well. You would not just appear again after all of these years simply to say hello, so tell me what it is you came here for." He batted his eyelids at her mockingly.

It was her turn to snort contemptiously. **"Truth be told, I have come back to ask something of you."**

He smiled and made a gesture for her to continue. She sighed. **"I know you're taking great pleasure in my asking a favor of you, and I know full well you have no intention of helping me in anyway, (that cruelty being ingrained in your nature), but hear me out-"**

"Cruelty?!" He jumped up again, splashing his tail into the water and sending sparkling droplets everywhere. She flinched away only slightly, but her facial expression remained calm, despite his outrage.

"So _I_ suddenly become the cruel one? That is 'ingrained' into my nature?! As if I cannot change?-I have made more effort to change in only a few _days_ , more effort than you will ever apply in thousands of years!" He snapped, pointing an accusing finger in her direction. "You know what's cruel?! _You!_ \- You left me, for hundreds of years, without warning! And now you come crawling back, only to ask a 'favor' of me?! How pathetic!"

She gave him a look that only a mother would give to a spolied child throwing a tantrum; a look filled with patience and tired devotion towards guiding him in the right direction. He couldn't decide whether he wanted to strangle her or kiss her, and either action would have killed him.

 **"The only pathetic one between us is you. You just don't realize it yet."**

He forced his rage down his throat and let it fester inside him; he refused to let her see any weakness in him. He leaned back on his tail and crossed his arms.

"Oh?" He said with an imperturbable tone.

She glared at him. **"Ranshiin, listen: I did not come here to argue with you. I came to-"**

"To what, may I ask?" He asked calmly, but with a coy undertone; he wanted to make her reveal her weakness too, the way she had done to him, those many times; he wanted _revenge_ upon her, revenge for his wounded pride.

Her wings tensed up, the only sign she gave that she was angry. **"Ranshiin. Let me speak."**

"Then speak: no one is preventing that. Let's have a nice, _civil_ , conversation: just between old acquaintances." He smiled as a wine glass filled halfway with Chateau Margaux materialised suddenly in his hand. He raised it slightly in her direction before taking a long, slow sip.

She sighed. **"Wine? Really? Are those the kind of things you dream about?"**

"Only if it irritates you, my dear. There's no need to chastise me if my tastes vex you; it is _your_ problem if you dislike expensive wines, is it not?"

She actually started to look angry. Ranshiin smirked. "It seems dreams do come true." He said, and mentally summoned up another glass right beside her.

"Why not partake in the enjoyment?" He cooed enticingly. "No one has to know that you at least _dreamt_ of such a dishonorable luxury."

She slapped the glass away, and it immediantly vanished like smoke. She stood up and glared at him. **"Ranshiin Windragon! Stop this foolishness! I need to war-"**

"Ah-ah-ah!"

She froze, her mouth suddenly shut. She glared at him coldly as he approached, swishing the contents of his glass and wagging his tail. He smirked down at her.

"Remember darling, this is _my_ dream. _I_ control what happens here."

He lowered his head so that they would be eye-to-eye. "I don't want to ever see you again. Not here, not on Earth, and not in the Legendz Kingdom. Haunt another Legendz's dreams if you like. I don't care what you do, just don't bother me again."

She continued to give him a stern, almost sympathetic frown as she slowly faded from the dreamscape. An idea dawned upon him, one that would wipe that sorry look off of her face, that look that was making him feel so bad.

"Wait a moment," he said, taking her chin in a claw with surprising gentleness.

Her eyes widened as his lips met hers in what seemed a small eternity. He pulled away and smirked down at her. "I told you I would do that again one day; like I said: dreams _do_ come true."

She scowled and moved her lips as if saying something pithy; but Ranshiin made her fade away before she could gain the power to speak. He closed off his mind to her entirely, just to ensure that she would never come back to his dreams. He was content for awhile, in the silence that followed. He smiled at the contents of his glass as the stream beside him gurgled.

"...And yet another victory for Ranshiin Windragon," he boasted, rasing his glass to the sun before he went to take another sip.

 **"Yes, very good."** Another voice spoke, cold, slithering.

Ranshiin froze and started shaking. He shook so hard that he dropped his glass.

He knew that voice.

Slowly, he turned around, hoping, praying that it was not who he thought it was.

Two large, red and green eyes stared at him from the shadows of the trees. An evil, sharp-toothed smile grinned at him.

 **"A splendid job you've done: pushing away your only protection..."**

Black tendrils started to sway towards him, like strands of hair in the wind, or snakes about to strike. Ranshiin was frozen in place, unable to move or scream as they came closer and closer...beckoning him to the darkness…

Ranshiin felt them wrap around his limbs, and the strength to fight suddenly returned to him. He screamed and tried to pull away, but no matter what he did, the tendrils stuck to his flesh and would not let go. They wrapped tighter and tighter around him, drawing him ever closer to the evil eyes that watched him struggle with glee. He felt a pang in his chest, right over his heart, and screamed again as the small sliver of a scar there started to glow.

 **"WARUCHHO!"**

Ranshiin opened his eyes, panting. A cold sweat drenched him from head to tail, even though their was no covering other than his clothes on his body. He blinked up at Nezzucho and Shu as they looked upon him in concern. He scoffed and waved them off.

"Fufufufu," he said dismissively.

"No, that wasn't nothing: You were screaming in your sleep, and kicking." Shu said. The young teen looked concerned. "...Are you alright? Do you want to talk about it?"

Waruchho shook his head and pushed Nezzucho away as he tried to feel his forehead. He stretched and placed his arms behind his head, trying to look calm and casual.

Shu and Nezzucho shrugged. "Just a bad dream?" Shu asked.

Waruccho nodded and tried to get them to go back to sleep and leave him alone. It was only after much persisting, and much banter, did he finally get them to leave him be. Nezzucho curled up on Shu's pillow, leaving Waruchho alone with the doll bed; he guessed he had kicked the white hamster quite alot in his struggle to get away from Jabberwock in his dreams.

He tried to brush off the memories that clung to his mind like cobwebs: the tendrils beckoning...the dark blackness...the green and red eyes...and that smile. That smile was the worst of all.

He sighed and stared up at the dark ceiling, hoping that the light of day would come back soon, and chase the nightmares away.

~~~

"I am sorry; I failed you. please forgive me." Navie the water sprite bowed her head towards the several glowing figures in front of her.

 **"No, you did not. There is still time until he must make his decision. Until then, do what you must. Perhaps the boy or Shiron next?"**

She shook her head. "I could only link my mind to Ranshiin, because we had a temporary bond. Besides, that boy is too thick for me to get a good reception." She winced as her feelers twitched.

The others all sighed and talked amongst themselves.

 **"Very well. Do whatever you must, just...do it quickly. They must be warned...all of them...Before Ranshiin makes the wrong choice and dooms us all."**


	6. Chapter 6: Bonds Deepen

Chapter 6: Bonds Deepen

So far, the weeks had passed peacefully. The Legendz left in the world had been settling into society quite well; surprisingly well, if you asked some people. It seemed there were Legendz filling jobs everywhere, from construction workers, to restaurant owners, to managers and even teachers!

So it was no surprise to him, when Shiron found out that Ranshiin was working with Halca Hepburn at 101 Grade School.

He wandered in one day, while Shu and the others were in class at the nearby high school. He had just wanted to stop by and say hello to Halca, the 'cute girl'; he hadn't really expected to see Ranshiin already there.

Shiron had managed to squeeze into the doorway of the small building, when he heard Ranshiin's voice cutting through the air:

"...And so the tiny fairy flew allllllll the way over the mountians to save the princess from the clutches of the evil troll. She flew all day, and all night, until -finally- she found the tunnel that would lead into his secret underground lair…"

Shiron looked up as he squeezed the rest of his body through the doorway. Ranshiin was sitting in cross-legged position, in the center of a circular rug marked like a clock. A neat row of young children surrounded him in a semi-circle formation. They tilted their heads up at him as he read, their round eyes wide in awe, almost entranced, as Ranshiin's voice got lower towards the climax of the story.

Shiron was almost afraid to interrupt, as the children seemed so engrossed in the tale; but his large movements didn't go unnoticed by his twin.

Ranshiin looked up over the rimless, ovular edges of his glasses. He glanced at Shiron for a moment, showing that he recognized his presence, but chose to ignore it, as he displayed by continuing to read on. Shiron snorted and crossed his arms. The action, of course, easily caught the attentions of the children, who twisted their necks around to stare at him.

Before the windragon could even blink or register what was happening, the children were upon him, climbing his tail, hanging onto his arms, clinging to his legs; types of things children do when they see something stable and big. Shiron held as still as he could out of fear of accidently squishing the small humans between his heavy girth and the space surrounding him.

Ranshiin chuckled as his twin was preoccupied with trying to get the children off of him. He closed the book as a bell rang outside.

"Recess, children. Shiron has to go," He called. The children let out sounds of dismay and protest as they dropped off of the white windragon's frame and slowly shuffled out the door. Ranshiin waved to them as they passed into the courtyard. "The story, at least, will still be here. I'll continue reading as soon as you come back."

Shiron watched them leave before he turned back to his twin. "I figured you would hate children," he said with a slight tilt of sarcasm in his voice.

Ranshiin snorted and took off his glasses. He hung them by the folded collar of the plain white button-down shirt he wore, which was neatly pressed and ironed so there were no wrinkles. Over these, he wore a fine pair of black slacks; Shrion wondered where he got his wide array of outfits, and how.

"I find children much more tolerable than their older counterparts." He said flatly.

The white windragon broke out of his thoughts and blinked up at him. His eyes roved over Ranshiin's clothes again. "I see; so what's with the get-up? Trying to go for the 'humble substitute teacher' look?"

"I felt that my usual attaire was inappropriate for interaction with such an easily-perturbed audience." Was the answer, again, in a flat tone. Ranshiin yawned as if Shiron was boring him, and this small chat was just wasting his time.

" _As if he had anything better to do_ ," Shiron thought tersely.

"Where's Halca?" He said instead. He searched the room for her with his eyes. Ranshiin yawned again and looked at the clock on the wall.

"Ah, yes, Miss Hepburn. She's in the Library, performing more of her Legendz research."

Shiron sighed in relief. Ranshiin, upon noticing this, grinned at him with all of his sharp teeth. "Was that a silent exhale of relief, dear half of mine? What is the matter? Were you afraid that something... _Unfortunate_ would befall lovely Miss Hepburn?"

Shiron growled at him. "What are you hinting at, Ranshiin?"

Ranshiin looked at the book and flipped through the pages with an absent-minded air. He put his glasses back on and adjusted them. "...Nothing, Shiron. What is it _you_ are hinting at? Are you trying to start up a conflict?- If so, that would be rather unwise."

Shiron huffed through his nose and rubbed his forhead, suddenly feeling a migraine coming on. "...It seems the only one trying to start something here is you. Are you trying to make me look a certain way?"

Ranshiin gave Shiron an arch look over his glasses, in a manner that made him want to slap them right off his face; he couldn't explain why.

"Are _you_ trying to make _me_ look a certain way?- It seems ever since I've returned, you've been nothing but hostile towards me; why? I've done nothing but shown amicable behavior towards all, but you've made me out to have some sort of ulterior motive, as if I'm truely not trying to turn over a new leaf, and atone for my past actions. You've made me out to be some sort of villain! Tell me Shiron-" He was standing now (as best as he could, in the small space) and had a genuine look of distress and dejection on his face; Shiron was actually shocked, when he could feel Ranshiin's emotions tightening in his own chest, causing him to have to take a step back as Ranshiin continued: "Do you really hate me so much? _Do you_?!" Ranshiin's voice was cracking now, and Shiron swore he could see tears in the black windragon's eyes.

Shiron was shocked; this change in demeanor was so sudden, so fierce and unexpected, that he was unsure what to believe; Ranshiin's emotions were so strong, they were meddling with his ability to think with clarity; he needed to get away, calm down...but...Was Ranshiin actually being sincere?

Ranshiin rubbed his eyes under his glasses and sighed. "...I suppose I deserve it, after...everything I've done...But Shiron, please…" Ranshiin looked up at him, and Shiron could see black and purple smears around Ranshiin's eyes. "I swear, I do want to make a change in myself; Our saga...before, I couldn't feel guilt! I couldn't understand the wrong in my sins! He gave me a heart, and for that...I...I'm grateful to him. To you."

Shiron blinked at him, stunned. Ranshiin nodded and rubbed his eyes again, smearing the black and purple substance more. "...I know how I sound right now...but please, please believe me...give me one chance, to prove I'm not who I was three years ago. I've changed."

Shiron couldn't speak for a long moment; the entire situation that had just unfolded before him hadn't yet registered in his brain; had it even happened? Or was it...was this…some sort of illusion?

He cautiously reached a gloved claw forward and wiped one of Ranshiin's eyes. Ranshiin sniffed and looked away, covering his face with a wing as Shiron studied the wet droplet on his finger; it smelled salty, and was tainted with thick makeup: eyeliner and eye shadow, Shiron presumed. He looked back up, and realized that the muffled, snorting sounds Ranshiin was making from behind his wing was him trying to prevent himself from crying.

Shiron sighed and placed a hand on Ranshiin's shoulder. Ranshiin tensed up for a second, but slowly relaxed. Shiron sighed.

"...I'm sorry. I should have at least given you a chance before I judged you. But I ask that you stop being so damn devious all of the time." He said the last part with a joking tone and slight chuckle.

Ranshiin turned to him and smiled lightly. "...I will. Thank you."

Shiron nodded. "...You said Halca was at the library, right?"

"Yes; it's in the back. Just follow the hall."

Shiron chuckled and flicked one of Ranshiin's ears. "Alright. And Ran-Chan?"

Ranshiin sighed in exasperation at the new nickname. "...Yes?"

"...Your makeup smeared."

 _That's it for the new chapter, y'all! More plot will follow, but I've been feeling kinda down lately and felt like writing some wholesome filler! This will affect the plot though, I swear! Also: thank you for reading this far, but please remember to leave a comment so I know where I may improve my writing! It gives me motivation and is very helpful! I also want to know if anyone of you out there has an idea for what should happen in the next chapter! If I like your suggestion, I'll write it in the story!_

 _Thank you all,_

 _TheExiledCyborg_


End file.
